Big Ten commish, one of college football's most powerful figures, plans exit

per CBS:

One of the most powerful persons in college athletics just put a timeline on his retirement.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told reporters Tuesday at 2016 Big Ten Media Days he will not be around in six years when the league's media rights deal expires in 2022.

"I'm won't be here in six years. I'm 68," Delany said. "Anything inside six years, very likely."

The veteran administrator is considered one of the most powerful persons not only in college athletics but in all of sports. He has been Big Ten commissioner since 1989.

The league's newly negotiated rights deal with ESPN and Fox is worth $2.6 billion. The Big Ten's deal will be the first to expire among those signed by the Power Five conferences. Delany had sought a longer-term deal for his league similar to the one announced last week by the ACC, which links it to ESPN through 2036.

"That's really where the market was for us," Delany said. "It's really a balance between security and the dollars that can be generated in the short term. We've done 20-year deals. We've done 10-year deals. In this case, we thought six provided us some mid-term security."

http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...ootballs-most-powerful-figures-planning-exit/

Go Gophers!!

He will be remembered as a leader and a legend.

MNGoldenGophers1 said:

He will be remembered as a leader and a legend.

Click to expand...

I see what you did there...

Anyone else think the 6 year deal was made because we will probably add two more teams in the next 2 years and one or both could be huge difference makers and allow us to break the bank...probably Texas plus somebody else or ND plus somebody else?

GopherinPhilly said:

Anyone else think the 6 year deal was made because we will probably add two more teams in the next 2 years and one or both could be huge difference makers and allow us to break the bank...probably Texas plus somebody else or ND plus somebody else?

Click to expand...

Adding any team would change the media deal anyway so that probably isn't the trigger.

I suspect the larger issue the landscape of media is changing quickly. ESPN is in trouble, we're seeing more cord cutters, the available media over the internet continues to expand.

I suspect everyone involved just doesn't want a hyper long term deal on a landscape that is changing rapidly and nobody knows where it is going.